China, in his words · Before politics · № 5
Told New Hampshire factory employees 'China is raping this country'
“China is raping this country.”
- Said
- , Remarks to employees at Wilcox Industries, New Hampshire
- Subject
- manufacturing jobs
- Threat
- Economic threat
- Topic
- Trade & tariffs
- Era
- Before politics
What the record showed
ABC News reported the same day that Trump ties, cufflinks and teddy bears carried 'Made in China' labels; Trump told the network that China's currency practices made it 'almost impossible for American companies to compete.' He used the phrase again at a rally in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on May 1, 2016: 'We can't continue to allow China to rape our country.' The U.S. goods trade deficit with China rose from $295.2 billion in 2011 to $418.2 billion in 2018, his second year in office, and was $202.7 billion in 2025.